Fentanyl in Chicago

[Paregoric Kid]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-overdose07.html

Police: Deadly pain-killer being sold as heroin
February 7, 2006
BY ANNIE SWEENEY Crime Reporter
Chicago Police issued an alert about a potent drug that is peddled on the streets as heroin, but actually is hundreds of times stronger and may have caused up to a dozen fatal overdoses in recent weeks on the South Side.
The Sun-Times reported Sunday that investigators became concerned about a pattern of fatal overdoses where the victims were either found on a stretch between 27th and 30th, on State and Dearborn, or had bought drugs there. On Monday, Chicago Police officials alerted the public, saying they believe a synthetic drug called fentanyl has been sold as heroin.
Fentanyl, a prescription pain-killer that is 80 times more powerful than morphine and is used by cancer patients, has surfaced before as a substitute for heroin and has proven lethal here and elsewhere the country.
Now, Chicago investigators are working to understand how the drug is hitting the streets.
One suspicion is that dealers are stealing the drug, said Assistant Deputy Supt. Charles Williams, who added that investigators are trying to get more information.
"I know that [the] Narcotics [Section] has a number of people assigned to it," he said, adding fliers were being printed to alert people about the danger of the potent drug.
'Undertaker' and 'Lights Out'

Chicago Police officials did not confirm exact numbers of victims whose deaths were under investigation Monday, but sources have said there are as many as 12 people who fit the pattern. Further toxicological tests must be done to determine whether the victims had ingested fentanyl before overdosing.
Standard toxicological screenings do not detect fentanyl, so special tests must be done.
The drug kills quickly, another reason police noticed a pattern. When just a small amount of the cancer drug is cut into heroin, it can become lethal, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. In this case, investigators suspect the victims were ingesting pure fentanyl.
Lawrence Ouellet, a University of Illinois professor and director of the Community Outreach Intervention Projects, said his staff started hearing about overdoses a few weeks ago. They also know of some heroin that has been sold recently under brand names "Undertaker," "Lights Out" and "Overdose." Ouellet said the ghoulish names are not uncommon, and are used to signal how high a person will get from a certain drug.
Illicit use of fentanyl first appeared in the mid-1970s, according to the DEA. Its effects are indistinguishable from heroin, and it can be smoked or snorted.
asweeney@suntimes.com

[shaunclo]

Thats crazy shit, I use to be able to get pure fentanyl citrate in 5ml amps. That shit is scary stuff. I thought I was OD'ing on it once. Those pacthes can be fatal too, even an experienced opiate addict can OD thiniking, oh thats o.k., I can handle 2 patches.

I think I remember reading on P.kids junkylife blog (an amazing blog by the way) that he was in a movie theatre when he was wearing one and he felt like he couldnt breath. Thats how I felt when I slammed 2 of those amps after a long abstinance from opies. I stood right up and started walking around the block to make myself feel better. That Fent is STRONG!

[antony]

Update on Fentanyl in Chicago, where people ALL ages are OD'ing:
(via blulight, via Chi Tribune)
New rash of deadly heroin overdoses

By Josh Noel, Tribune staff reporter. Tribune staff reporter Jason Meisner contributed to this report
Published April 21, 2006

As word circulated this week of people passing out from potent heroin on Chicago's South Side, drug users didn't recoil with fear, police said.

They turned out in droves for a taste.

By the end of Wednesday, 25 people between the ages of 17 and 73 had overdosed, including a 51-year-old woman who died at her home.

"It's a sad commentary when people are racing to a place they know may overdose them," Police Supt. Philip Cline said Thursday.

With 66 heroin overdoses since August, including 11 deaths, police announced they are teaming with federal officials to try disrupting the drug's flow into the city and to staunch the street deals plaguing the South and West Sides.

Though there are close to 250 fatal drug overdoses in Chicago every year, officials said, incidents involving heroin are becoming more concentrated. Fifteen of Wednesday's overdoses happened near the Ida B. Wells public housing complex. In February, 10 people died near the Dearborn Homes after taking heroin that, authorities said, was cut with Fentanyl, a prescription drug often used in anesthesia.

Though Fentanyl is believed to be contributing to most of the heroin overdoses, Cline said, it is unclear if the drugs passed out Wednesday were cut with the substance or if they were simply extremely potent doses.

What is known about Wednesday's outbreak is that samples were being given out in pink baggies in the 500 block of East Browning Avenue and at 64th Street and Ashland Avenue, Cline said.

Officers arrested seven people suspected of distributing the drugs, including someone bragging to locals that he would "have some good stuff to pass out," Cline said. Charges have not been filed.

"All of these incidents have one thing in common: gangs and gang turf," Cline said.

On Wednesday, Alberta Morris was found about 4:15 p.m. at her home in the 7000 block of South Racine Avenue, police said. Morris was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. Wednesday by the Cook County medical examiner's office.

It is unclear when or where she obtained her drugs, Cline said, but her story was invoked as officials cautioned against buying drugs or taking free samples.

"What you think you are buying and what you are actually getting are two very different things," said Terry Mason, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. "You're completely at the mercy of the person who sold you or gave you the drug."

Fentanyl is about 100 times more potent than heroin, Mason said, causing spasms in the rib cage that can prevent breathing. Officials believe heroin is coming into Chicago already cut with Fentanyl.

Dan Bigg, director of the Chicago Recovery Alliance, said it is common for people to flock to potent drugs because they expect they can handle the strength while getting an extreme and cost-effective high.

"If you're out there trying to sustain a habit, the more milligrams of heroin you can get, the better off you'll be," Bigg said.

Though people passing out might seem like an obvious reason to stay away, they are actually good advertising for the dealers, he said.

"It doesn't take much effort to get a little Fentanyl and see people pass out and get some publicity. And all [dealers] care about is the publicity," Bigg said.

[antony]

Anyone familiar with the geography of chicago, knows that this is the South Side of Chicago, and one of the WORST neighborhoods in the country, Englewood. (Chicago is an entire city, but years ago, bought up indiviual towns which retain its name, Lincoln Park, Englewood, Lake View, etc.). Englewood, like many of the south side neighborhoods are being bought up and redeveloped by private interests making money on Section 8, and rehabbing many of the old grey stone 2 and three flats that are still standing all over, but the current community that resides there are filth (for the most part). The past 2 mos. and last night, little kids are being blown to bits by errand bullets from drive by's in the area. It's terrible whats been happening in the city lately.